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Seattle, WA 06/12

events

Jun122010

Seattle, WA

The Gorge

Originally founded as a vineyard in the 1980s, The Gorge Amphitheatre was opened in 1985 with a concert by Jesse Colin Young. Although the founders sold the venue in 1993, grape vines still dot the property today.

Saturday's set may be the show of the tour to date. More than 20,000 fans partied in the campgrounds and parking lots on a cloudless summer day before jamming to soulful set from Joe Cocker. The Heartbreakers followed Cocker's lead and delivered an exhilarating set that kicked off with "King's Highway" and culminated with an anthemic "Refugee," Mike Campbell's custom Rickenbacker ringing out over the Columbia River. The energy from the crowd fueled an absolutely electrifying version of Van Morrison's "Mystic Eyes" for the encore, drummer Steve Ferrone and bassist Ron Blair providing the pummeling beat as Scott Thurston oozed bluesy harmonica over the top.

With four shows in the next seven days, the Heartbreakers are turning things up a notch, so check back at TomPetty.com for more photos, show recaps and some new videos as we play shows in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Saskatoon!

Comments

still was wondering about the hold up at the gates. all i could remember that people were peeing every where. I was almost at the front of the gates and we still waited a long time. hell girls next to us were just sitting down and going to pee cause they had too. i remember one girl fainting and the water we had brought her temputure down. thanks tom.

http://aplscruf.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers...
A little late to the game here...Tom and the band were absolutely amazing. We purchased tix online and received MOJO downloads prior to the show, then the rest of the album within a couple of weeks. Loved the new bluesy stuff, loved the mix of old and newer material. HATED the mishandling of the crowd. I've NEVER had to wait so long to get in...to get through not only the camping gate, but then the main ticket gate. It was terrible. I was really shocked a riot didn't start around us. Also, for $300 total, Row 10 on left side, we couldn't even see the whole band. There was a big curtain hiding equipment...and Benmont. Aargh.

I dont know what you're smokin buddy but they were awesome. Yeah it kind of sucked that the Mojo album wasnt released before the concert, so I didnt know those songs either, but they still played them all very well and put on a good performance. If you're so against Tom then dont go to the show!! Seriously. He's an amazing songwriter!! The songs with the Heartbreakers were all written by him too, so what does it matter if some were from his solo albums or not!? They're all great and I think you are super disrespectful for saying that bit about Stan & Howie. You're not a fan then just leave it at that, dont post a bunch of mean bs, there's no point other than making yourself look heartless and cruel. So you didnt like the show, okay dont go to them anymore! Simple as that. Dont sit there and dog the guy like that when he is an absolutely amazing man and band leader. It was a great show, the only thing bad was the event staff at the venue, and now your rude comment.

this is what you got for your money,5solo song's 2cover's and 1 you didn't even know,and 5 off of mojo witch wasn't even RELEASE yet,and just 6 from tom petty and the heartbreaker's..and you say it was AMAZING! you should of called the cop's because you got robbed..THE WORST TOUR EVER..and now it's 9-20- and well it's not any better.did he give you that same old story about the girl he meet's in the hotel hallway.with MYSTIC EYE'S it's no wonder stan left the band and howie OD they had enough of tom shit! i'm done with tp shit too how about you? we all should ask for a refund..

I am happy to say that after a few phone calls to I guess the right people, I received a full refund for my tickets for the show at the Gorge. If you had the same chaotic experience as me you may also want to request a refund. When I called they knew exactly what I was referring to when I mentioned the show at the Gorge.
Sorry Tom but the venue sucked. My friends saw you in Vancouver and said it was the best show ever. I loved you but the organization at the Gorge was horrendous.

This is Aliciae7 again, just wanted to put a little more praise to Tom & The Band.. I pretty much just ragged on the venue the whole time in my comment and didnt give Tom & the Heartbreakers the praise they deserved. They put on the most amazing shows and will always always be my favorite :) My 3 year old daughter loves them already too as you can see in my picture!! :) She even asked when I was at the concert if Tom Petty could come and spend the night with her when I came home ha ha. She loves him just as much and this just goes to show what a great band they are and what good music they play. Keep it coming guys and keep coming back to George or Portland or Seattle or somewhere close enough for me to keep coming to see you!! Love you guys!! Love to meet you someday too!! :)

I was at the Friday night show and the Saturday night show at the Gorge. And it rocked! Insanely good show I think that is probably the best I have heard them play too! Allthough Friday night we got Dont Pull Me Over which was awesome! But yeah the gorge camping and all the craziness saturday night was nuts! I never want to camp there again! People partying all night, cant sleep.. Too many drunk people for sure!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Tom & The Heartbreakers. They are my all time favorite band ever. Been listening to them since I was little. I have only been to 4 concerts in my life and have all been Tom!! 3 of which have been at the Gorge.. Tom & the Heartbreakers were absolutely AMAZING. This was by far the best show Ive seen them put on. Tom was so humble and even signed autographs for people when they were done playing..how cool is that!?! BUT the amphitheater was beyond CRAZY this time!! We got there an hour and a half early...after waiting in line to park for a good hour or so... only to find out there was a HUGE line to get into the amphitheater. We waited till 8 before we got in!! Missed all but three or so of Joe Cockers songs...which was okay because we came to see Tom anyways, but still, pay 120 bucks per ticket plus motel and gas that was crap. If that wasnt bad enough the lines for the bathrooms were ten min waits, the bathrooms were already full before Tom even started playing so I can only imagine what they were like towards the end of the concert. I delt with all that and thoroughly enjoyed the show but when it was over was the scary part. People were so packed and pushing each other Im surprised people didnt get trampled!!! I am only five feet tall so was looking at the backs of everyones shoulders, surrounded by stumbling drunks pushing me and kicking me and making my sandals come off over and over... and then if that wasnt bad enough the whole crowd started MOOING!!!! because they all knew it was like we were a cattle herd!! I had NEVER seen it that busy there and so out of control!! Was absolutely crazy. I would come back to see Tom only because its Tom & I love them (have his name across my back windshields of both rigs and soon to get the logo on my back!! :) but they need to put a cap on the number of people allowed to purchase tickets for there or something because that was TOTALLY out of control!! Thumbs UP UP UP for Tom & the band Thumbs DOWN DOWN DOWN for the venue/event staff/live nation...whoever was at fault for the madness!!!!

The show was amazing... I was drunk as hell but I remember every minute! Lol! I danced so hard my legs gave out a few times... I'm only 26 so you can imagine how much fun I was having. I agree about the shitty Gorge staff. That part was rediculous but other than that it was the best concert I've been to in my whole live! I've been listening to Tom Petty since I was in my mamas womb, its in my blood... I loved every minute of it! In Vancouver and Seattle. Both amazing... if I died now, I would be fine with that. Tom Petty is my Elvis

This show was amazing! This was the fourth time to see Tom and the Heartbreakers at the Gorge and it is a surreal experience everytime. The new music was so good and it was awesome to listen to new music and hear how excited they were to play it. To be surrounded by so many thousands of fans who feel the music as deeply as you do is truly awesome. Much much love and peace to Tom Petty and His Heartbreakers.

This is the email address for corporate headquarters. I emailed them. No response. We are asking for a refund through the refund site but not optimistic.
TOM????????????????????????????? ARE YOU LISTENING? You could have been involved in your own Rolling Stones Altamont.... it's just sheer luck it didn't happen....
Barb in Cranbrook

Tom Petty: AMAZING
Joe Cocker: I HAVE NO CLUE as I missed the opening show. See below paragraph for details.
Gorge Management: SHITTY, LACKING, NOT UP TO PAR, FUCKED, WASTE OF PEOPLE'S CONCERT $$$, CATALYST FOR RIOTS. Some adjectives for venting my anger at missing the opening act for Tom Petty ($150 seats, 9th row seats). TP was rocking and I am glad I saw him but I was also looking forward to seeing Joe Cocker. Live Nation doesn't have any contact info or phone numbers otherwise I would be burning up some of their lines. We waited 2 hours to get in even though we got there 1 hour prior to the opening show. Campsite organization was also a gong show. I was at the Gorge in 2005 and getting in/out of the campsite & concert were no problem at all. I love seeing Petty but don't think I'll do a 5 hour road trip to the Gorge again in a hurry. Fuck you Gorge! I want my money back!
I'm giving Tom a 5/5 rating but since I gave the Gorge a -10 this is nullified to a one.

We could have gone to Calgary for the Tom Petty Concert, or Vancouver.... but we chose the Gorge for the Gorge experience.... by the time we got through the gates, after a long day of travelling, we were so bummed out and stressed, it was just about impossible to relax and enjoy the show...no time to mellow out....maybe if you're a regular concert goer with lots of time and money, it wouldn't matter to you but this was a special experience for us, to return to the Gorge having not been there since Moody Blues in the early 90s.
There is no forgiveness here.... Live Nation owes everyone who got in after 7 their money back!
nelson bc

Saturday Morning didn't even have tickets for the show...WE NEEDED A MIRACLE...BAD! Got on craigslist and found 2 seats in Row 15 Center Section. Called a last minute baby sitter for our son and by God, Our Miracle was in motion. Just about ready to get outta Seattle & head East when the babysitter called and bagged out on us. Needless to say I was bummin' Hard, but my wife was absolutely HISTERICAL. Everything that had seemed as if it was meant to be suddenly felt as if the wheels (all four of them) had fallen off. Made a couple of last ditch attempts to get the sitter and low and behold, a friend of ours agreed to take our boy for the night. We were goin' to see TOM & BOYS!!! Got to the Gorge around 9pm. Missed Joe Cocker but oh well...we are DIE NEVER TPHB Fan through & through! Found our seats and they were FANTASTIC. About 10 minutes later the lights dimmed and out they came...WOOHOO! I have seen Tom over 8 times and I have to say that Tom, Mike, Benmont, Ron, Steve & Scott put on the BEST Show I have ever seen! They all appeared to be having a blast and played their heartbreakin' hearts out! If you missed this one, too bad for you 'cause it was a ROCKER! Especially when Tom put his Axe down and opted for the moraccas for OH WELL! WOW AMAZING! Tom spoke his final words to the crowd that went something like..."IF YOU GUYS KEEP COMING BACK...WE WILL TOO!!!!" Can't wait till next time I wouldn't miss it for ANYTHING. Thanks TP & HB's.

Everyone please read;
i have been going to the gorge for most of my life(24yr) and the lineup fiasco has *never* happened before. I missed all of joe cockers set also. Fridays show went smoothly, there was no lack of security or organization. I'm chalking this up to a one time only fuck-up on the gorge's behalf.
I'm not ready to give up on the venue. I doubt anything like this would happen there again.

I love Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers and have been going to their shows since 1979. I never miss a TP&HB concert. But if they come back to the Gorge next time they tour, I will miss them. Tom and the band were excellent, but the entire experience at the Gorge was so awful that it was hard to get past it and enjoy the show the way we usually do. We also missed Joe Cocker, even though we arrived with plenty of time to spare. The lack of security and organization was unbelieveable. I have never liked the Gorge, and now I will not go back. I really hope they play a different venue in the Northwest next time they tour. I know many people love the Gorge, but many of us do not.

I went both nights at the Gorge and loved every minute of the shows. We were in the 2nd row and I was so happy to be there. I have seen Tom Petty 21 times since 1981 and I still enjoy the music and the band so much. They are so professional and do a great job. Once in a while a great rock and roll band comes along and we are all so lucky that they are still together and making great music. I love the new song- I should have known it. I have taken my teenage children to see him three times now and they love him as well. Keep coming back Tom, you know I will.

Would have loved to see the whole concert, but the 2 1/2 hours that we stood in the blazing sun, no water, no restrooms, people pushing, shoving and calling others names, really set the tone for a not so great evening. Not really sure why we were made to be herded together like cattle, but was NOT ENJOYABLE! We totally missed Joe Cocker, who I REALLY wanted to see.
Totally terrible experience, would have loved to enjoy the show, Tom is amazing, but Live Nation totally stinks!!!

TP and the boys were really at the top of their game. They give us the rare combination of accessible songwriting, combined with unsurpassed musicianship. If there's a better band out there, I wanna know!
Safe travels, guys
Doug

Tom Petty said on Tavis Smiley, "All the trouble (fans) go to attend a concert, you owe them a great performance". Tom delivered. Live Nation didn't. I was happy to spend $500 to reprise a concert experience my sons and I had in 1994 seeing Petty in Vancouver, and also revisit the Gorge for a concert. We enjoyed the concert, we completely were cheated out of the experience, we missed Joe Cocker, the sun setting over the hills, the ambience, etc. The mass of people crowded together was dangerous, especially when guys in the back started yelling "push" etc. It's just good luck,not good management that no one was hurt.
Live Nation grossed a minimum $1 million on this concert,.. they could have spent another $5000 looking after the fans, their customers.
Contact media@livenation.com .. going to their site to get a refund is hopeless!
Barb in Cranbrook

Listening to my MOJO CD it arrived yesterday in the mail..There are several tunes I like on it. Trying to make up my mind which is my favorite. I just wanted to add that my comments about the event staff and the concert at the Gorge have no reflection on the performances by Joe Cocker (great) and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (phenomenal!!) I am still excited after having attended the show.,.Always enjoy their shows!! Will go whenever possible to see them..

I'm not one to be a pessimist, so I'll start by saying that the set Tom and the boys played was amazing as usual. Mojo is going to rock and will be playing in my home and car for months. This was my twelth time seeing the band dating back to 1995 when I was in high school. This was the fourth time I've made the 250-mile drive to one of the most beautiful venues in the country. Nothing makes me happier than seeing this band live.
With that being said, the organization at the Gorge on this particular night was about as poor as I can imagine. The chaos that ensued at the will call station and the entrance by a presumably understaffed crew at the Gorge was inexcusable. It took over ninety minutes from the time I got in line at will call to the time I set foot in the venue. I, like thousands of others I presume, missed Joe Cocker's set.
I'm not sure if the first nice day in what seemed like months in the NW was the culprit for this, or maybe it was because more premium seatholders had to pick up tickets at the venue in lieu of the mail (to combat the scalpers), but I hope that LiveNation gets their stuff together in the future.
I feel guilty for posting this here because Tom and the HBs are my favorite band without question. I just want Tom to know! I consider myself a die hard, and have flown far away and made long road trips to see them, and I will keep doing it. I just hope that the people organizing these events will realize that we the fans sacrifice a lot in some cases to attend and we should never have to worry about standing in a line for an hour-and-a-half just to get into the venue.
Joe Cocker, I'll catch you next time. TPHB, you're the best in the business and I hope for many more years and many more GREAT experiences.

We had VIP tickets and parking and paid thru the nose for them..It was my birthday present and the first time ever for me to have the VIP luxury.. Our waiter Kyle was great but as for the rest of the event staff it was a very disturbing experience. We were treated very poorly by more than one of them. We were s'pose to have access to all the VIP restroom facilities and the VIP lounge etc and were turned away from them early in the show. also in our box seats there was a constant flow of foot traffic moving back and forth and standing in front of us distracting our view of show and when mentioned to the event staffers they said What do you want us to do about it..I was shocked at their behavior. We paid over three hundred dollars for our tickets and felt very slighted BUT THE HEARTBREAKERS Ruled the night..Just did not know where else to go to vent. I bet Tom Petty would be discouraged to hear this. He is such a class act.

Completely enjoyed the show. There was a little bit of a wait at the will call, Live Nation should have a window for "difficulties", don't know what the deal was with the wait, curiosity very much has got my attention! The show was great..the new songs were a pleasure to listen to. We were a little apprehensive about hearing them for the first time live, but I liked them. All in all, the result was what I hoped for! The music is why we all showed up, and even though there was a little "skip" in the vinyl, the music was what made the night! Thanks to all!

My husband and I jet-setted from Williamsburg, VA to view Tom and the Heartbreakers at the Gorge on the 12th ...a unique and beautiful setting for these long-time fans. We loved the concert, the band was as always beyond perfect. TP&HB are most certainly the best fan-oriented musicians ever! Yes, the waiting was definitely the hardest part of this adventure, even though we arrived at the venue in ample time. Good thing the throng was nice and friendly. See you in Charlotte in September.("Boo" to Livenation to not allow feedback on their email propmt.)

Petty's show the second night at the Gorge was excellent as always. Saw him in Vancouver the Tuesday before and he played the same setlist both nights, but no biggie--both nights rocked! We drove down from Vancouver making the pilgrimmage in approximately 5 hours with stops. Small price for what is a great venue and always great show from Petty. That said, my three friends and I had row 9 seats ($150 each) and we arrived at Will Call at 6:15pm, over an hour before Joe Cocker was to hit the stage. We then waded into the massive body of thousands trying to get through the gates and moved approximately 20 feet in an hour. Not once did an employee take the initiative to give the crowd any indication of the wait time or if a problem existed or anything. Only added to a bad situation. Have never been so disappointed as when we heard Cocker's set begin echoing in the distance and the line was clearly not going to move in time to get in without missing a significant chunk. Never did we think we'd miss the entire set and get to our seats only 15 minutes before Petty and the boys hit the stage. No chance for food, beer, T-shirts, souvenirs, nothing. We felt a bit cheated out of half the concert. As did many of the thousands trapped outside like cattle. Like I said, Petty's show rocked, but the sour taste of a near 3-hour wait was too much to overcome. Don't think I'll come back to the Gorge again (this time was my third seeing Petty here after concerts in 2005 and 2008) after this experience. My friends would likely agree. Too bad, as the past two Petty concerts at the Gorge were great experiences where we could basically walk right in with little hassle. The entire concert and venue staff had the feel of a new team that was badly disorganized and didn't know what they were in for. Can't remember if Livenation has managed Petty concerts here before, but this was definitely my worst concert experience at any venue for any artist. I am embarrassed to complain (particularly on the website of my absolute favourite band) but couldn't find any forum or method on either the Livenation or Gorge websites and felt those in charge should know the conditions for future concerts before more fans are lost.

We Went the last tour IN 2008 on a Friday and we had Lawn Seats It was an Amazing show. HOT! My Favorite song he does live is That Slow Played Learning To Fly! I went this Year had 7th row seats and VIP Camping, parking and shuttle. The Weather was Perfect however The Heard Of People trying to get in was a Little Ridiculous. But When We get in the Concert was perfect the Seats were perfect Everyone around was great. Tom And the band did not disappoint! They Continue to rock Over and over again. He started with Kings Highway and Moved Right into you don't know how it feels and got the party started, you could see as he got hit with a cloud of smoke 3 seconds into the song. I enjoyed all the new stuff. And Tom Played That slow version of Learning to fly which is just an Amazing Experience. I wish he would have played American girl. But I definitely digged Mystic Eyes I love that cover. and You wreck me. Learning to fly is still the best the way he plays at the gorge!!! You continue to Play and we will Definitely continue to Come. Awesome Show!

Agree with who ever drove 5 hours...and had to wait forever. I had tickets to Saturday's show..drove 5 hours from Missoula, Montana to the Gorge. Will call was a nightmare...then the hearding of the people to get in. It's the first time ever I missed the opening act, at a Petty concert there. What the hell is up with the staff 1 1/2 hours to get ticket and then get in. No wonder I missed Joe Cocker.
----------------------------------
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers were in great form as usual..as if I had to even say that...it just goes without saying...You guys always rock..

Tom & the guys rocked. The lines at the Gorge were terribly long and we missed Joe Cocker even though we got there early enough. Never had that problem there before.
Mojo is awesome and so glad we got to hear 5 cuts from the new stuff.
Old or new, they are the best!

Thanks so much for a great two nights, sorry to all like me who had to wait outside the concert, but if you do not get there 3 hours early thems the breaks. I had to hang out at my perfect camp site as long as possible despite the heat so I was late as well! For any who have trouble finding lodging and camping is an option but not in crowds, try the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area. The Quincy Lakes are only 6 miles away (as the crow flies) and pristine and beautiful!! Zoom in to see my friendly neighbors...